Meng Yang read a passage carefully and grasped some vague concepts. Liu Zhi scribbled very quickly, and Meng Yang couldn't keep up with her reading speed. The screen full of English gave her a headache, so Meng Yang silently went to the dining table to eat breakfast.
The soy milk had cooled down, so Meng Yang tore open the packaging and poured it into a bowl to heat it up.
"What time are you going?" Liu Zhi finally put away her phone.
"Let's go this afternoon." Meng Yang tore the fried dough sticks into small pieces and put them into the soy milk.
It was already past eleven o'clock, and Meng Yang was full after eating a bowl of soy milk with fried dough sticks. She went to the kitchen to start cooking, but Liu Zhi stopped her.
The two discussed it and decided to go out and get some sun earlier than planned.
Having finally found some peace and quiet, Liu Zhi craved the sunshine more than anything else.
It was still far from the agreed time, so Meng Yang practically dragged Liu Zhi into a dessert shop. While she bent over carefully selecting cakes, Liu Zhi stood with her hands in her pockets, gazing at the scenery without looking to the side.
Meng Yang chose a seat by the window and pushed another piece of Napoleon cake in front of Liu Zhi before sitting down.
The shop's decor was very upscale, which made the cakes appear much more luxurious. In the corner, two office workers sat on high stools, typing on their laptops, with desserts and coffee beside them.
Seeing that Liu Zhi did not make any move, Meng Yang picked up a fork and waved it in front of her.
"I don't want the cake, you can have it." Liu Zhi pushed the cake back to its original position and took out her phone.
...
The old man Meng Yang mentioned was actually an elderly gentleman who came to Ning Nursing Home last year.
The old man had a son and a daughter. His son's company went bankrupt, and his house was sold to pay off debts. His daughter married and moved abroad, and they hadn't been in contact for a long time.
The old lady usually takes care of the old man. The elderly couple are both struggling to take care of themselves, one is paralyzed in bed and the other is plagued by illness.
The old man's son was a very filial son. He had no choice but to take his father out of the nursing home because he could no longer afford the expenses.
They communicated with the leaders of the community and the Ninghu Hospital, and the leaders launched a public welfare project and established a volunteer Ninghu team to go down to the community to help families in need.
Meng Yang was one of the doctors who volunteered to join.
Every weekend, team members would come to the old man's home to provide free medical care, and Meng Yang had been in charge of this old man.
The old man's condition has deteriorated significantly recently. The old woman is too weak to turn him over frequently, and when Mengyang visited last week, the old man had developed bedsores. If Mengyang hadn't treated them that day, the old man's condition would certainly be worse than it is now.
The room was small, and Meng Yang leaned out of the only window to call out to Liu Zhi.
After Liu Zhi entered, the already cramped room felt even more crowded. Meng Yang made way for Liu Zhi by clearing away the clutter.
"What's wrong?" Liu Zhi asked Meng Yang.
"Help the old man turn over," Meng Yang said, supporting the old man's back. "He has bedsores."
The bedsores were exposed, and Liu Zhi observed them and felt that the inflammation was quite serious.
"Help me get my bag." Meng Yang pointed to the small table next to Liu Zhi.
"Are you going to disinfect with alcohol?" Liu Zhi handed her the bag.
Meng Yang nodded.
“There’s already inflammation, and we don’t have enough alcohol,” Liu Zhi said. “Are there any pharmacies around here?”
"I remember there's a..." Liu Zhi took the thing from Meng Yang's hand before she could finish speaking.
"It shouldn't be too far, right?"
"It shouldn't be too far..." Meng Yang hesitated, then stopped himself.
Liu Zhi skillfully put on gloves and looked at Meng Yangdao: "Go buy 0.5% neomycin solution and silver nitrate solution, and also buy a tube of bedsore ointment."
Meng Yang brought alcohol swabs, which were very convenient to use. Liu Zhi first disinfected the old man's wound.
“Sir, I’m a doctor too, please don’t worry.” Liu Zhi raised her voice, “I’ll try to be as quiet as possible.”
The old man's hearing was quite good. "You and Xiao Meng... are from the same hospital?"
“We’ll be in the same hospital soon. I’m a Western medicine doctor, and she’s a traditional Chinese medicine doctor.” Liu Zhi said, her eyes shining as she held a cotton ball in her tweezers.
"Who are you?" The old man's voice was as if it were suspended by a thin rope, as if it could be broken by a gust of wind.
"I'm from the Capital Medical University Affiliated Hospital." Liu Zhi's hands didn't stop moving.
"The Capital Medical University Affiliated Hospital is great..." The old man's eyes opened a little wider. "Xiao Meng is being transferred?"
“The affiliated hospital and Ning Nursing Home are one family.” Liu Zhi thought for a moment and said, “Meng Yang works in the outpatient department and rests on weekends, so he can come to see you.”
"Xiao Meng is so good. He prescribes medicine for me for free and comes to see me every week..." The old man praised Meng Yang highly, "Xiao Meng... is a good doctor."
Liu Zhi listened quietly, occasionally chiming in with a comment.
The small pharmacy to the south didn't have everything; Meng Yang could only find neomycin ointment. She then took a taxi to the nearest large pharmacy and finally bought neomycin solution.
Liu Zhi checked the ingredients after receiving it and then applied a wet compress to the old man.
"You can use a pillow to support the old man's head." The old lady couldn't hear clearly, so Liu Zhi repeated what she had just said, adding, "Make sure you pay attention to where I've placed it!"
The most convenient and affordable way to treat and prevent bedsores is to use a pillow bridge, but if the pillow bridge is not placed correctly, it can cause greater harm to the patient.
Liu Zhi emphasized many details, not daring to overlook any of them.
Meng Yang helped lift the old man's upper body slightly, and Liu Zhi carefully placed the pillow down.
“Look carefully, it’s this way.” Liu Zhi patted the exposed pillow. “It’s this way.”
After settling the old man in, Meng Yang took out several small oil-paper packets from his bag.
"This is the medicine I prepared, for stopping asthma. You should decoct it once a day," Meng Yang drawled, "and give it to me twice a day, morning and evening."
After Meng Yang finished giving his instructions and prepared to leave, the old lady, leaning on her cane, escorted them all the way to the exit.
"Xiao Meng, are you being transferred?" The old lady walked shakily beside Meng Yang, with Liu Zhi following behind them.
“I should rest on Sundays, but don’t worry, I will come to check on you every week!” Meng Yang helped the old lady slowly walk to the parking area.
The old woman gripped Meng Yang's arm tightly, "We, we..."
For the past year, Mengyang has been their family's only hope.
Their pride told them not to be overly dependent on or trouble a young girl, but reality forced them to set aside all their pride just to ensure their loved ones' survival.
Meng Yang's answer reassured her, and the old lady felt both grateful and ashamed. Meng Yang understood her feelings.
Liu Zhi and Meng Yang had walked a long way when the old lady still stood there waving to them.
After a few practice runs, Liu Zhi became much more confident driving the electric scooter, and they slowly drove away from there. The old lady stood deep in the alley, waving to them.
"The old man's bedsores are quite severe. Come back next week. If there is still an infection, go to the hospital as soon as possible." Liu Zhi looked at the traffic ahead.
The wind was a bit strong, and Meng Yang couldn't hear Liu Zhi's voice clearly. "What did you say?"
"It's a bit serious. It looks like necrotic tissue is forming. Go to the hospital as soon as possible," Liu Zhi said. "In this situation, I can't clean it here. It's best to do it in a sterile environment."
Meng Yang understood what she meant and nodded subconsciously. Only after nodding did he realize that Liu Zhi couldn't see him, so he leaned closer to Liu Zhi and said, "I understand."
The old man's family had long been unable to afford the medical expenses, and any assistance they received was merely a drop in the ocean. The successive blows had shattered this family.
Sometimes, illness or disaster can be a devastating blow to a family.
Meng Yang's mood grew increasingly heavy.
After going over the speed bump, Meng Yang bumped into Liu Zhi's back again.
"Why don't you just lean against my back?" Liu Zhi said.
"What?" Meng Yang asked incredulously.
"Lean against my back," Liu Zhi repeated.
--------------------
Author's Note:
Meng Yang: "Such a good thing!" [Bear hug]
Liu Zhi: "..."
Chapter 7 Obsession
Meng Yang's wishful thinking backfired; Liu Zhi was on duty from 4 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Monday.
At noon, Liu Zhi and Meng Yang met in the cafeteria. Meng Yang was wearing a white coat at the cafeteria entrance, with several tall doctors behind him. Liu Zhi didn't wear a white coat and walked through the crowd with his hands in his pockets.
After getting his food, Meng Yang carried his plate around and finally spotted Liu Zhi in a quiet corner where there weren't many people.
Liu Zhi ate very plain food, which looked like the meals served in a nunnery.
Meng Yang sat opposite her, looking at Liu Zhi's expression but not daring to speak.
Liu Zhi probably didn't even realize that her expression when angry was cold, and her jawline would unconsciously tighten. At first glance, it didn't seem any different from her usual aloof demeanor. But Meng Yang knew that the difference was huge.
"How was the first day?" Liu Zhi put down her chopsticks and looked at Meng Yang.
"It's fine, I'll get used to it quickly." Meng Yang swallowed his food before speaking, "Doesn't your department have the cafeteria deliver meals to you?"
“The quantity is fixed. I came to the cafeteria after get off work.” Liu Zhi’s voice was low and hoarse, and Meng Yang understood her meaning by matching her lips.
"Is your throat sore?"
"No."
Liu Zhi was lying, and Meng Yang put down his chopsticks and looked at her.
"I'm going back now." Liu Zhi left with her tray.
Meng Yang frowned as he watched her retreating figure.
...
Liu Zhi had just stepped out of the cafeteria when the phone rang again. She glanced at the name on the screen and swiped to reject the call. She hadn't taken two steps when the phone rang again.
In this season, the hospital's flowerbeds are cleaned up, and the landscape is desolate as far as the eye can see.
She eventually answered the phone.
"Why aren't you answering the phone?" The familiar local accent filled Liu Zhi's ears.
Liu Zhi's eyes narrowed slightly. "They were just trying to save him."